- This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 9 months ago by Munch.
Butt Tested M50/C50, V Stars, and Vulcans…..
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July 29, 2009 at 7:00 am #3218KumadaParticipant
Hey all! Been a while since my last post – and thanks for all the responses there.
I wanted to post my findings when I went shopping around. I have gone to R&S Westide and Bobby J’s here in Albuquerque and looked at Suzuki’s, Kawasaki’s and Yamaha’s and Honda’s. Here’s what I found.
So far, with my background in a cowboy family, choosing a motrocycle has been similar to choosing a horse. Benn kinda fun really.
Honda….I have no interest in them at all. Bikes just are ugly to me. They have an amazing track record, but I just….can’t click with them.
Kawasaki’s I like so far. The 500 is just too plain for me, but is a great price. The power isn;t there for me either. I’ve stayed away from their 125cc. The Eliminator was just tiny.
Suzuki….wow, I love the loves of the 50 series. The M50 has a a great look for my taste, and the C50 has a wonderful feel. But, even the Suzuki was not the most comfy.
The single most comfortable bike so far has been the V Star series by Yamaha. 07’s, 08’s, 09’s, it does not matter. They are cushy and fit my frame well – well, save for a few.
The upper class bikes, like Warrior and 1300 are big and uncomfortable for me. The V Star 950 is a hard seat and feels heavy somehow or another to me. The V Star 650 is a stinking comfortable bike.
Finally…the surprise I had. This will be my first bike, so I really don;t think I have any business looking at this size of engine…but the V Star 1100 really, really surprised me. It fit my body perfectly….I have yet to find a bike I’m more comfortable on in a butt test, and it was light! The V Star 1100, or so I was told, is supposedly perfect for my size. While BB Motorcycles writers might condemn looking at this size of engine, I was comfortable with it – not to mention that the Suzuki S50’s are considered decent for beginners and are an 800cc+. 1100 does not SEEM too far off.
“If you just take your time learning and don;t rush anything, you’ll be fine on it.” That coming from both the dealer and a few biking friends of mine.
Still, the 650 is my main target – if anything, then I’ll use the excuse of lower insurance.
So my choices, ranked up are….
#1: V Star 650
#2: V Star 1100
#3: Suzuki C50
#4: Suzuki M50Guys, I’d love to hear your opinions on these bikes, if you have them. I have really fallen inlove with this 1100cc bike….but I also don;t want to spend a ton of money buying a small bike, outgrowing it then upgrading. I have been told by biker after biker, dealer after dealer….”Getting a small bike is being safe. But it is very expensive….you’ll outgrow even a 650cc very quickly.”
Thoughts?
Thanks all!
July 29, 2009 at 10:36 am #21037MunchParticipantHmmm…. Well I’ll give my experience. I started on the V500…..no lack at power at all. When you lay into her, after getting comfortable with her, she will hit triple digits easily and quickly. The VStar 650 will likely so the same. After several thousand miles on her I stepped up to my V900. Yes both Vulcans. For me I couldn’t deal with the sway back look of the VStars. I absolutely love my 9. More power then I will ever need and enough bolt ons and creature comforts to keep my interest in her for a looong time. Another perk is that here in the states anything under 1000 cc’s keeps the insurance low. Before you discount power and umph for your progression look to see what can be done. For my 900 I can add things like a Big Sucker Ram intake kit, power commander etc. To squeeze more power out of her.
The 1100 IMO would be a huge jump for a first. Weight, power, and not to mention expensive fix should you end up dropping her in the early stages.
I would definitely push you to the 650. Again, if your fear of losing interest is one thing shying you away. Check Vstar forums and look at what other riders are doing for enhancements for down the road improvements. After you get some experience under your belt. Then Once you out gorw that the Star’s usually do really good at retaining most of their value and you can get alot of it back so you can step up to that 1100.July 29, 2009 at 4:30 pm #21040KumadaParticipantSounds like good advice, Munch. Thanks for the reply.
If I remember right, (didn;t pay attention to them much at first) the Vulcan 900’s were nice bikes. I really liked their sleak look. The same goes for the V Star 950, but that thing was a bit uncomfortable, not to mention too new to find used.
I’m glad soemone spoke out for the 650. Sounds like a good idea. Thanks Munch.
July 29, 2009 at 10:04 pm #21050AtlAggieParticipantMan, I was in my Kawasaki dealer’s last Saturday, and if I didn’t love my 500 so much (plus I still owe on it), they would have sold a 900.
They had 7 brand new 900LT’s on the floor on sale for $7,999!!! I’ve already decided that’s my move up bike. I just can’t move up quite so soon.
July 30, 2009 at 8:06 am #21071KumadaParticipantHey Aggie. What would insurance be on a Vulcan 900?
I mean, obviously, it’ll be different for everyone. I guess what I mean is….woul insurance on a 900 be worth the money saved compared to an 1100?
I like the look of the 900 except for the front tire – I like the bigger, sturdier look of the V Star and M/C 50’s
July 30, 2009 at 10:02 am #21075AtlAggieParticipantNot sure what the insurance on a 900 would be. I really can’t afford to move up for a while, so I haven’t even asked my insurance agent about it.
By the way, if you like the bigger front tire look, make sure you’re looking at the 900 Classic, not the Custom. The Classic has a wide, 16″ front, while the Custom has a taller (21″) narrower front tire.
July 30, 2009 at 10:34 am #21077MunchParticipantFor me it was a $100+ difference. Dont really understand why there is a breaking point there. I think as far as cruisers go insurance companies see under 1000cc’s as leisure and anything over as touring type…..which to them means more time on the road and more risk to their wallets…..like they actually spend anything out of their pockets.
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